The Good Place – Most Improved Player

After revealing herself as the source of the trouble in The Good Place, Eleanor (Kristen Bell) sits down with Michael (Ted Danson) to discuss her future and her past. Of course things are complicated by the recent murder and reboot of Janet (D’Arcy Carden) whose help in retrieving Eleanor’s file leads to a (surprisingly funny) running gag of the computer program constantly confusing any request for that of a cactus. While Eleanor does good on the basic questionnaire (suck it Bachelor viewers!), things get a bit more complicated when Janet finally locates the missing file. Once again, we get highlights of Eleanor’s life on Earth, this time in her deposition to Michael as she describes a series of events with her friend Madison (Angela Trimbur), who, through Eleanor’s actions became to be known as “The Dress Bitch.”

Despite her friends standing up for Eleanor, Michael decides to contact The Bad Place as we get our first clues as to what those not allowed into the heavenly suburban community are dealing with in the afterlife. Adam Scott guest-stars as Michael of his community who arrives to take Eleanor back where she belongs. While Michael decides at the last moment that Eleanor’s improvement in The Good Place may deserve some special consideration, the reveal of the “other” Eleanor (Tiya Sircar) raises even more questions about what needs to be done. While I was surprised the show revealed Eleanor’s secret so early, in doing so the show seems to have found some new life as it produces the best episode of the series so far.